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2005: Hereford
Cathedral, Hereford, England

Mystery Worshipper:
Chris Teean.The church:Cathedral
Church of St Mary the Virgin and St Ethelbert the King,
Hereford, England.Denomination:
Church of England, Diocese
of Hereford.The building:
One of the oldest cathedrals in England, containing some of
the finest examples of architecture from Norman times to the
present day. It has many stunning windows, most of which are
Victorian, although stained glass windows dating from the late
13th century can be seen on the south side of the Lady chapel.
In the quire area, a bishopís throne and choir stalls with finely
carved misericords date from the mid 14th century. The altar
reredos is of Caen marble and has a frontal emblazoned with
the words SANCTUS SANCTUS SANCTUS. At the tower crossing is
a golden corona, designed in 1992 by contemporary British artist
Simon Beer, symbolizing Christís crown of thorns and his glory;
it is placed above a modern altar table and rails. Shrines of
five saints can be found in the cathedral: St John the Baptist,
Mary the Mother of Jesus, and three unique to Hereford –
St Ethelbert, Thomas Traherne, and St Thomas of Hereford. A
newly constructed shrine to St Ethelbert has 12 brilliantly
coloured icons. A larger very colourful shrine to St Thomas
of Hereford has a backdrop that tells his life story.The church:
Full details of this cathedral's many services and organized
events can be found on its website. It is famous for its mappa
mundi and chained library, both of which are housed in a new
building. The mappa mundi is an ancient map of how the world
appeared some 700 years ago (flat and stationary). The mappa
mundi shows Christ sitting in judgement above a world centred
on Jerusalem, amidst the continents of Asia, Europe and Africa.
The British Isles appear near the bottom. The chained library
is the largest of its kind in the world, containing nearly 1500
books, each attached by a chain to rods in the ancient bookcases.The neighbourhood: Once the Saxon capital of West Mercia, Hereford is steeped in history. Now a modern bustling city with a pedestrianised heart, it lies deep in the rural countryside of picturesque Herefordshire.The cast:
There was no customised service sheet, so from portraits of
"whoís who" on a display poster, I think the service
was opened by the dean, the Very Revd Michael Tavinor. The precentor,
the Revd Canon Andrew Piper, and the chancellor, the Revd Canon
Christopher Pullin, read the lessons.The date & time:
Thursday, 10t June 2010, 5.30pm.

What was the name of the service?
Choral Evensong.

How full was the building?
There were about 30 people in the congregation.

Did anyone welcome you personally?
No. I donít think itís that kind of service. Service sheets
and the Book of Common Prayer were provided for us
to help ourselves.

Was your pew comfortable?
It was quite comfortable and spacious.

How would you describe the pre-service
atmosphere?
Very quiet. The organist was playing some introductory music.

What were the exact opening words of the
service?
"O Lord, open thou our lips."

What books did the congregation use during the
service?
The Book of Common Prayer and a service sheet entitled
"Hereford Cathedral weekly Choral Evensong."

What musical instruments
were played?
There is an awesome Henry Willis organ, originally dating from
1879, that has been restored and extended over the years. We
were very lucky to hear it put through its paces a few days
earlier when we attended an organ recital given by Robert Dixon,
an organist from nearby Gloucester Cathedral. From my position
in the nave I counted 23 in the choir and I felt rather embarrassed
because they seemed easily to outnumber the congregation! (I
couldn’t at that time see the congregation who sat in
the quire stalls.)

Did anything distract
you?
I was rather distracted by a painting mounted on a pillar in
the crossing. From where I was sitting I couldnít make it out,
with or without glasses! On later inspection it turned out to
be a 1994 painting of the crucifixion by the Scottish painter
Craigie Aitchson, known for his spare and surrealistic but vividly
coloured renditions.

Was the worship stiff-upper-lip,
happy clappy, or what?
It was divinely formal in wonderful cathedral fashion. A crucifer
led a procession of robed choir, consisting mostly of boy choristers
plus some lay clerks who would sing the alto, tenor and bass
parts. Three clergy wearing academic hoods followed them. The
Magnificat and NuncDimittis, set
in E flat by Herbert Brewer (well known to most English choristers),
were beautifully sung, as was the anthem Great Lord of Lords
by Orlando Gibbons. The soaring high notes produced by
the choristers in such a glorious house of God sent shivers
down my spine.

Exactly how long was the
sermon?
No sermon.

Which part of the service
was like being in heaven?
It must be the exquisite singing and chanting in such wonderful
surroundings.

And which part was like being in... er... the other place?
I spent too much time worrying about who was conducting the service since the sheet didnít give any information.

What happened when you hung around after the service looking lost?
We listened to the playing of the organ. The clergy and choir had disappeared into the bowels of the cathedral, so there was little else we could do but make our way back to the car.

How would you describe the after-service
coffee?
There wasnít any.

How would you feel about making this church your regular (where 10 = ecstatic, 0 = terminal)?
8  I am always attracted by anything like this and I envy people who live in cities who are able to make a cathedral their regular place of worship.

Did the service make you feel glad to be a
Christian?
Yes.

What one thing will you remember about all this in seven days' time?
I know the mappa mundi was not part of the service, but I just
canít get it out of my mind.

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